John d



(No Model.)

J. D. RICHARDSON.

DESK FOR TELEPHONES.

Patented May 31. 1887.

RN. G

- NA PETERS, Pholo-Lhogmplusr, Washingtnn. DA C.

- v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE@- JOHN D'. RrCHARDsON, OE BROOKLYN, AssiCNoR To THE COMMERCIAL PATENT DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

DESK FOR TELEPHONES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letteral Patent No. 364,133, dated May 31, 1887.

` n Application filed February 24, 1887. Serial No. 229,718. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom 'it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN D. RICHARDSON, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Desks for Telephones and other Purposes, of which the following. is a specification.

Although my invention relates in general to desks vfor various purposes, and which are supported so as to permit of their being folded into approximately vertical position againsta wall or other support, certain features of the invention relate particularly to desks'which are designed for use in connection with telephones for writing downmessages received 'through the instruments; and in such desks a roll of paper is usually supported adjacent to and beneath the desk, so that it may be drawn upward over 'the' desk. l

The invention consists in the combination, with a frame to be secured to a Wall or other upright support and having an upright guide, of a desk having at its inner edge pivots fitting the guide and adapted to slide vertically thereon and props or braces which are hinged at opposite ends to the lower portion of the frame and to the desk between its ends. rangement of supports provides for readily adj usting the desk from an operative position to an inoperative or folded position against the l wall or other support, and also serves to prop- -erl y sustain the desk when adjusted to operative position. I also combine with the desk and the support' for the roll of paper a conibined paper clamp and cutter which extends across the desk, and beneath which the web of paper may be passed from the roll, and which is of a novel construction, as hereinafter particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a desk embodying my invention, folded upward into vertical and inoperative position. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation through the desk and a board which is combined therewith, and by which the desk is secured to the wall. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the desk adj usted to operative position, and Fig. 4 is a plan thereof in the same position.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This ar- Atween the ends of the desk.

I A designates the desk, which may consist of a board of proper size, and B designates a castmetal frame with which the desk is connected,

and which is itself secured by screws or otherport, or to a base-board, B', which itself may be secured tothe wall.

The desk A Vis so combined with the frame B and4 other parts which support it that it may be readily swung upward from the operative position shown in Fig. 3 to the inoperative position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The desk A has at its inner'edge inwardly'- extending pivots b, which are in line one with the other, and which are here represented as formed upon arms or brackets b, extending rearward from the desk proper. The frame B is formed with a vertical guide or guides, in which the pivots b slide, and in the present example of my invention the frame B has atopposte edges channels b2, in which the pivots b may slide vertically. I have here represented the channels b'l as formed by rabbeting the frame B at opposite edges and then securing it to the base-board B', the channels being formed between the lrabbeted frame and the base-board. I have also shown the channels b2 as formed with forward projections or shoulders bf at their upper ends, and when the pivots, by the swinging of the desk forward and downward into the position shown in Fig. 3, rise to the level of these offsets or shoulders b3,

the pivots drop forward and'give a support to the rear end of the desk, so that it will not tilt, even if downward pressure be exerted upon it `near its pivots.

C designates props or nte to the support of the desk A, and which are pivoted` at c to the lower portion of the frame B, and at their opposite ends, c', .to the desk A, at a point midway or thereabout loe- When the desk is -thus supported it may, by pulling downward upon its upper edge or end, be readily swung from an inoperative position (shown in Figs.l 1 and 2) to the operative position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and by exerting upward press-4k ure or pull upon its outer end the desk may be readily swung from the position shown in braces which contrib- IOO side of the desk, or that side or face which is presented outward when the desk is swung upward into inoperative, position, is a directory, D, ofseleeted telephone-subscribers with whom frequent communication is desired, and when the desk is swung upward this directory is always in view, and aperson may readily glance at it and ascertain the call which he wants as he swings the desk downward into operative position ready to make memoranda of the message received.

E designates a roll of paper, from which a continuous web, e, passes up through an opening, c', afforded at the rear of the desk A, and thence over the desk and under a plate or strip of metal, c'l which extends across the desk.

The roll of paper rests in a trough or box, E,`

here shown as having a V-shaped bottom, and which supports the roll .by its periphery as distinguished from supporting it through a center spindle. The very contact of the roll resting 4 upon the support E constitutes a brake for retarding the turning of the roll and preventing its running ahead when paper is drawn therefrom. At the side ofthe desk A, I have shown Wire springs e3, which serve to hold the plate or strip c with slight pressure against the web c of paper passing beneath, and the front of this plate or strip is or may be sharpened, so that it constitutes a combined paper clamp and cutter.

From the above description it will be seen that myimproved desk is of light, simple, and inexpensiveconstruction and of attractive appearance, and by arranging the directory of selected subscribers upon the under side of the desk, which is presented outward when the desk is folded into an inoperative position, I afford the greatest convenience for quick telephone service.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a frame to be fixed to a wall or other upright support and having an upright guide, of a desk having at its inneredge pivots fitting the guide and adapted to slide vertically thereon and props or braces hinged at opposite ends to the lower portion of the frame and to the deskbetween its ends, substantially as herein described.

2. The combination, with the frame B, hav ing at oppositesides the channel-guides b2, with the forward oi'sets or shoulders b3 at their upper ends, of the desk providedv with pivots sliding in said guides and the hinged and swing ing props or braces C, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, with a desk and asupport for a roll of paper, of spring-arms e, eX- tending along the sides of the desk and fixed at their one end, and a combined paper clamp and cutter consisting of a flat blade, e, extending across the desk and connected with said arms, and beneath which the webl of paper maybe passed from the roll, substantially as herein described.

JOHN D. RICHARDSON.

Vitn esses:

C. HALL, FREDK. HAYNES. 

